Trucking company under investigation for forcing workers to pay kickbacks

Trucking company under investigation for forcing workers to pay kickbacks

FBI, state investigating

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Updated: 11:21 AM CST Jan 4, 2017

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WEBVTT
WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
>> COURT RECORDS SAY THIS IS
WHERE THE SHAKEDOWNS WENT DOWN
PARKING LOT AT 48TH AND BURNHAM
IN MILWAUKEE.
12 NEWS OBTAINED A SUBPOENA THAT
SAYS EMPLOYEES OF THE VIZCAINO
TRUCKING COMPANY WERE FORCED TO
PAY KICKBACKS TO THE BOSS TO
KEEP JOBS ON STATE AND FEDERALLY
FUNDED ROAD PROJECTS UNTIL
EMPLOYEES COMPLAINED TO THE
STATE.
ACCORDING TO THE SEARCH WARRAN
THE TRUCKING COMPANY IS OPERATED
, OUT OF THIS OCONOMOWOC HOME.
>> NELVIN AT WORK.
NELVIN VIZCAINO WAS NOT AT
HOME NOR AT THE PARKING LOT TH
COMPANY USED.
12 NEWS FINALLY FOUND THE
PRESIDENT OF VIZCAINO TRUCKING
ON HIS CELL PHONE.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS
SEARCH WARRANT THAT I'VE GOT
THAT SAYS YOU'RE SHAKING DOWN
YOUR EMPLOYEES FOR KICKBACKS?
>> WHAT COMPANY ARE YOU WITH?
>> THE WARRANT DETAILS THE
KICKBACK SCHEME LOWER-WAGE
EMPLOYEES HAD TO KICKBACK $10 AN
HOUR, MID RANGE WORKERS ARE
$11.50 AN HOUR, AND HIGHER WAGE
EMPLOYEES $14 AN HOUR.
THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION ESTIMATES THE
KICKBACK TOTAL AT $231,000 PAID
BY 20 WORKERS.
RECORDS SHOW THE DOT RECENTLY
BARRED VIZCAINO TRUCKING FROM
DOING STATE BUSINESS AND THE
, COMPANY HAS REPAID THOSE 20
EMPLOYEES.
NO CRIMINAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN
FILED, BUT THE STATE AND THE FBI
ARE NOW ANALYZING THE TRUCKING
COMPANY'S BANK RECORDS FOR
EVIDENCE OF THEFT BY FRAUD.
IN MILWAUKEE, COLLEEN HENRY,
WISN 12 NEWS.

Trucking company under investigation for forcing workers to pay kickbacks

An Oconomowoc trucking company is under investigation after workers told the government their boss forced them to kick back part of their paychecks.

WISN 12 News reporter Colleen Henry obtained documents that show those workers were being paid with taxpayer dollars.

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Court records said the shakedowns occurred at a parking lot at 48th Street and Burnham in Milwaukee.

WISN 12 News obtained a subpoena that says employees of the Vizcaino's Trucking LLC. were forced to pay kickbacks to the boss to keep jobs on state and federally funded road projects. Investigators believe the arrangement went on for nearly three years, until employees complained to the state.

According to the subpoena, the trucking company is operated out of an Oconomowoc house. The company's president was not at home, nor at the parking lot the company used. WISN 12 News finally reached Nelvin Vizcaino on his cellphone.

"What can you tell me about this search warrant that I've got that says you're shaking down your employees for kickbacks?" Henry asked.

"What company are you with?" Vizcaino asked.

When Henry said Channel 12, Vizcaino hung up.

The warrant details the kickback scheme. Lower-wage employees had to kick back $10 an hour, midrange workers $11.50 an hour and higher-wage employees $14 an hour.The Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates the kickback total at $231,000, paid by 20 workers.

The DOT has now barred Vizcaino's Trucking from doing state business, and the company has repaid those 20 employees.

No criminal charges have been filed, but the state and the FBI are now analyzing the trucking company's bank records for evidence of theft by fraud.

Neither the Department of Transportation nor investigators would comment on an ongoing investigation.